Trump's sweeping executive orders set bold agenda for term two

When asked during the election campaign if he plans to be a dictator, Donald Trump responded that he would only be one on the first day. Although he later clarified it was a joke, it seems that he intends to begin his second term with far-reaching decrees.

According to Fox News, on the first day of his presidency, Trump intends to apply a "shock and awe" strategy—a term used for the U.S. military strategy in the first Gulf War—by issuing many executive orders and directives. Stephen Miller, one of the president's closest advisors, stated that border restrictions would be a priority, and the president will issue over 100 executive orders.

The President plans to enact a sweeping border security initiative through executive orders, described as the most extensive in U.S. history. These measures aim to completely seal the southern border, stop illegal immigration, implement widespread deportations of undocumented individuals and criminals, and address the threat posed by criminal cartels by systematically dismantling transnational street gangs, according to Miller's statement on Fox News.

According to Politico, most of the initial decisions will restore policies from his first term, including additional restrictions on asylum applications. However, the publication emphasizes that Trump will not be able to immediately reinstate one of the main elements, known as Title 42, which allows for the automatic rejection of asylum applications based on a declared state of epidemic threat.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the first immigration raids on illegal immigrants are set to begin as early as Tuesday, starting in Chicago. Although the operation targets immigrants with legal issues, the raids will also detain other individuals illegally residing in the U.S. who happen to be present during the raids.

Despite this, the "border czar" directing the deportation initiative, Tom Homan, reportedly tempered expectations in private conversations with members of Congress about the scale of this operation, which Trump has billed as the "largest deportation action in American history." He pointed out logistical constraints and the capacity of detention centers among other issues.

Among the most controversial actions announced by Trump and his team is breaking with the principle of birthright citizenship (jus soli), i.e., acquiring citizenship by being born on U.S. soil. Democrats argue that this change would be unconstitutional, as the 14th Amendment addresses it. According to Politico, Trump is considering revoking this right for children of illegal immigrants and foreigners residing in the U.S. for a short time.

Another priority for Trump is the removal of regulations related to oil extraction on federally-owned lands. In this context, the U.S. is also expected to withdraw again from the Paris climate agreement.

Among the actions announced by the president for the first day is the imposition of new tariffs, though details are still unknown. Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on goods from China—the three largest trading partners of the U.S.—if efforts to curb drug smuggling and illegal migration are not improved. The governments of neighboring countries have announced actions in this regard, but it is unclear if they will be sufficient to avoid the tariffs. Regardless, Trump also plans to drastically reduce foreign aid programs.

According to Miller, among Trump's first hundred actions will be executive orders concerning the workings of the federal bureaucracy, including ending telework possibilities for federal employees.